A two-story building that was still being constructed has fallen down at No. 20 Ozuitem Street in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State. The building, reportedly owned by a “very wealthy” local resident, collapsed on Christmas Day when workers were off for the holiday. The official cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, but nearby residents claimed that the contractor might have used substandard materials, which they believe affected the building’s stability. One anonymous resident expressed gratitude that the workers were unharmed, stating, “Yesterday was Christmas Day and there was no work.” If that hadn’t happened, who can say what might have occurred? He mentioned that the contractor had gone into hiding after realizing what had occurred to avoid arrest or questioning. When DAILY POST visited the location on Thursday afternoon, a bulldozer was tearing down the remaining parts of the building to prevent them from collapsing onto nearby houses. Notices prominently displayed around the site by the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), dated December 26, 2024, stated that the site had been sealed off. When DAILY POST reached out to Mrs. Nkeiru Ogba, the Public Relations Officer for the UCDA, she confirmed that her office had visited the site of the collapsed building to investigate the incident. She noted that the owners of several buildings that had collapsed in the state failed to follow the required procedures or comply with official regulations.
